Safety rail attachment for stepladders



June 2, 1953 J. 5. TEPPER 2,640,641

SAFETY RAIL ATTACHMENT FOR STEPLADDERS Filed June 15, 1951 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented June 2, 1 953 SAFETY RAIL ATTACHIVIENT FOR STEPLADDERS I Joseph S. Tepper, Monrovia,'Calif.

Application June 15, 1951, Serial No. 231,776

11 r This invention relates to safety rail attachments for ladders, and more particularly to an attachment including a safety rail which is foldable relative to the ladder and can be extended above the top of a ladder to provide a steadying support for a person standing on one .of the upper steps or rounds of a ladder. It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved safety rail attachment for a ladder which can be folded to a position alongside one of the side members of the ladder and below the top of the ladder, and can be extended or raised to extend above the top of the ladder a distance suflicient to provide a support for a person standing on one of the top steps or rounds of the ladder; which can be raised from its folded or retracted position to its extended position by a person standing on the ladder and is automatically latched at any desired degree of extension; which is connected to the ladder against accidental separation; and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture and easy to install and operate.

' Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a stepladder with a safety rail attachment illustrative of the invention mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational View on an enlarged scale of the ladder and safety rail attachment, portions of the attachment being broken away and shown in cross-section to better illustrate the construction thereof; j

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the portions of the stepladder and safety rail attachment illustrated in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation on an enlarged scale of the stepladder and safety rail attachment showing the safety rail attachment in retracted position;

a Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the safety rail attachment; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the components of the safety rail attachment showing a modified form of the components. I

With continued reference to the drawing, the invention, while applicable to various kinds of ladders, is shown applied to a stepladder which comprises side members, one of which is designated by the numeral [0 connected together by steps ll spaced apart longitudinally of the side members and carrying at one end a top step 12. The side members diverge symmetrically in a 3 Claims. (01. 228-67) direction away from the top step I2 and back legs [3 are pivotally connected at their upper ends to the top step and diverge from'the top step away from the side members of the-ladder when the ladder is in unfolded or operative condition, as illustrated in Figure l. Pivotally mounted toggle links I4 connect the back legs to the side members of the ladder, so that the back legs can be folded against the side members when the ladder is in its folded or inoperative condition.

As the stepladder itself is of old and well known construction, a further description is considered unnecessary for the purposes of the present disclosure.

The safety rail attachment comprises brackets l5 and I6 disposed against the outer side of the side member ID of the stepladder and pivotally connected to the side member at spaced apart locations along the latter to project forwardly of the front edge of the side member when the attachment is in extended or operative condition, as illustrated in Figure 1, a link I! extending between and pivotally connected at its ends to the brackets l5 and I6 and an elongated mu. i8 extending slidably through the brackets'and disposed substantially parallel to the front edge of the ladder side member ID.

As illustrated in Figure 5, each of the brackets 15 and I6 comprises a tongue portion 20 having at one end an angularly offset portion 2| provided with an aperture 22 near the pin, which aperture receives a bolt or rivet, as designated at 23 and 24 in Figure 2, pivotally connecting the tongue portion of the two brackets tothe ladder side member ID at locations intermediate the width of the side member and'spaced apart longitudinally thereof. The angularly offset portion 25 spaces the other end of the tongue from the outer side of the ladder side member ID and this end of the tongue is rounded off transversely of the thickness of the tongue and curved transversely of the width of the tongue, as indicated at 25, around the lower corner of the distal end of the tongue Near its 'distal end the tongue is provided with a second aperture, and a loop member 26 has its legs 21 and 28 disposed at respectively opposite sides of the tongue near the distal end of the ladder and provided with apertures which receive a pivot pin or bolt 29 which also extends through the aperture near the distal end of the tongue 20 to pivotally connect the loop member to the tongue. The rounded end 25 of the tongue projects into the loop member 26 for a purpose to be presently descriped, and the link I! has eye formations at its opposite ends receiving the pivot pins which connect the loop to the corresponding tongues to pivotally connect the link to the tongue portions of the brackets so that the link will maintain these tongue portions substantially parallel to each other.

The rail I8 is illustrated as having a rectangular crossesectional shape, and the loop portions 26 and 26-" of the brackets are illustrated as being elongated to closely receive the rail of rec tangular cross-sectional shape. It is to be understood, however, that the rail may be of circular or other cross-sectional shape, and that the loops may be shaped accordingly without in any way exceeding the scope of the invention.

Knob formations 30 and 3.! are provided on the upper and lower ends of the rail [8, respectively, so that the ends of the rail will not slide through the loop portions of the rail supporting brackets. With this arrangement, the bracket tongues may be turned about their pivot points to apositiorr in. which the outer edge of. the rail I3 is substantially flush with. the front edge of the associated ladder side member 40,. as illustrated in Figure 4, and the rail may be slid downwardly through the loop portions of the brackets until the knob formation. 30- on; its upper end is disposed immediately below the top step [2 of the ladder. When in this retracted position, the safety rail attachment does not interfere in any way Withthe folding of the stepladder nor with the carrying or storage thereof.

When it is desired to raise or extend the rail, the rail is first pulled outwardly from the front edge'of. the associated side member so that the two brackets project outwardly beyond. the front edge of the side member. A person may then climb the ladder and may grasp the rail and pull it upwardly to a selected. position of longitudinal adjustment relative to the brackets. The Weight of the brackets and the link I! will. hold the: brackets in position such that the rail will slide freely through the loopportions 2.6- of the brackets in an upward direction. As soon as the rail is released, however, the weight of the rail and the brackets will tend topivot the brackets downwardly and the end portions of the bracket tongues disposed within. the bracket loops will bear against the adjacent side of the and holdthe brackets against swinging downwardly beyond a predetermined position and also firmly hold the rail against sliding downward-Ly in the brackets... The side of the rail adjacent the tongue portions of. the bracketsis preferably slightly grooved to receive the corresponding ends of the bracket tongue portions.

With the raft in extended condition, as described above, a person standing on the top step. L2 of the ladder may grasp the upper portion of the rail and use the safety rail for a steadying support while working from this position.

When it isdesired. to lower the rail for folding to its retracted position, the brackets are manraised by grasping one of them and forcing its distal end outwardly, whereupon the rail will slide downwardly through the brackets and can be' easily moved to. its retracted position, and when in retracted position the rail. provides a convenient hand grip for a person using the ladder, regardless of whether the safety rail is mounted. on a stepladder or other kind of. ladder.

The. safety rail. may be of any desired material of sufficient structural strength, such as wood or metal, but when a metal safety rail is used, the bracket tongues are provided on their distal ends with tips 32 of rubber or other resilient friction material, as illustrated in Figure 6, to provide the necessary frictional engagement between the bracket tongue portions and the safety rail to hold the rail against sliding downwardly through the bracket loops after the rail has been raised to its operative position.

The invention may be embodied inother specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1'. In combination with a ladder having side members, a safety rail attachment comprising brackets pivotally secured to one of said. side members at spaced apart locations therealong, each of said brackets comprising a tongue portion pivotally connected at one end to the side membar and a loop portion pivotally secured to said tongue portion near the other end of the latter with said other end of the tongue portion disposed within said loop portion, a link pivotally connected at its ends to said brackets to maintain the tongue portions substantially parallel to. each other, and an elongated rail extending slidably through said loop portions, the ends of said tongue portions within said loop portions being rounded off below the upper surfaces thereof and engaging said rail to hold the latter in selected. positions of longitudinal adjustment relative to said brackets against downward pressure on said rail.

2. In combination. with a ladder having. side members, a safety rail attachment comprising; brackets pivotally secured to one of. said. side members at. spaced apart locations therealong, each oi said brackets comprising, a tongue portion pivotally connected at one endto the side member and a. loop portion pivotally secured to said tongue portion near the other end. of. the. latter with said other end. oi the tongue portion disposed within said loop portion and rounded off at the lower corner of the distal end of the tongue portion, a link pivotally connected at its ends. to the pivotal. connections between the tongue and loop portions. of said brackets tomaintain the tongue portions of said brackets substantially parallel. to each other, and an elongated safety rail extending. slidably through said loop portions, the ends of said tongue portions within said loop portions engaging said rail when the latter is subjected to downward pressure to hold the rail in selected positions of longitudinal adjustment relative to said brackets and said rail being movable to a position substantially flush with one edge of said side member and between the ends of the ladder by turning the tongue portions of said brackets about the pivotal connections between said tongue portions and said side member and the loop portions of. said brackets about the pivotal connections between. said loop portions and the corresponding tongue portions.

3. In. combination with a ladder having side members, a safety rail attachment comprising brackets pivotally secured to one of said side .aemen '5 members at spaced apart locations therealong, References. Cited in the file of this patent a link pivotally connected at its ends to said UNITED STATES PATENTS brackets at1ocat1ons spaced from the pivotal connections between said brackets and said side Number Name Date member to maintain said brackets substantially 5 449,982 Townsend 71 1891 parallel to each other, and an elongatedsafety 2,010,588 Gooden 1935 rail extending along said side member substan- 2,034,841 staggers 1936 tially parallel thereto, said brackets havingipor- FOREIGN PATENTS tions slidably receiving said safety rail andffrictionally engaging the safety rail when the latter 10 Number Country Date is subjected to downward pressure to hold said 92162 Sweden 1938 safety rail in selected positions of longitudinal adjustment relative to said side member.

JOSEPH SQTEPPER. 

